


Saving Alois

by Trancy_Ackerman



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Cielois - Freeform, M/M, cielxalois - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-01 07:39:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6508945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trancy_Ackerman/pseuds/Trancy_Ackerman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After winning a duel against Alois Trancy, Ciel Phantomhive's guilt begins to grow, until he becomes determined to reverse what he has done. Or, at least, by trying to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Alois Trancy was a smart boy, contrary to what most believed.

He was aware he was dying. He knew by the way his blood seeped through his clothes, turning the gentle green vest turned a rich crimson. He knew by the way his skin paled, his breathing became laboured and slow, and by the way his heart felt as though it were giving up. He knew by the tears that stung his eyes, the pain from the wound that had begun to numb, and his vision became diluted.

Yes, Alois Trancy was indeed a smart boy, and he knew he was dying.

The blonde boy, who had been left alone in the woods, broken and bleeding, to fend for himself would have never expected to be saved. Especially by the young Earl, Ciel Phantomhive.

It had been the toy maker who had wounded him in the first place, as Alois recalled. The blood lust look from the shorter of the two had burned into Alois as he laid on the floor of his mansion, sword in his stomach. And yet, it was Ciel Phantomhive who held an umbrella over his head as the rain began to pour. It was Ciel who had called upon his butler to carry the blonde into the carriage, and it was Ciel who now petted Alois' hair in a calming manner as they headed towards the Phantomhive Estate.

At some point, the Earl Trancy had lost consciousness, something Ciel was truly thankful for. Now he wouldn't have to watch the blonde's twisted expression of pain and agony as the Earl and his butler attempted to stop the bleeding.

Despite his being accustomed to having those he deemed dangerous killed, the young Earl Phantomhive had felt a great sense of guilt after leaving the Trancy manor, pacing throughout the corridors of his own as he waited to hear any sort of news on Alois' condition. Sebastian was the one, who after getting sick and tired of listening to repetitive clinking of the boys fitted boots, suggested he check on the boy himself, and so, after little-to-no persuasion, he and his butler headed back from where they came. When they had arrived at the Trancy household, Claude and Alois were no where to be seen, leaving Sebastian to find the boy himself. With his demon instinct, it wasn't hard at all the sense the strong smell of rust in the thick stormy air. The scent of Alois' blood was much too easy to follow, allowing him to quickly find the body of the boy so close to death, leaning against a tree as it began to rain.

"What is the likelihood that he will recover?" Ciel asked after the bleeding had come to a standstill. His clothes and the carriage were now reeking of the smell of Alois, and the blood had stained nearly everything it had touched. Alois laid with his head in Ciel's lap, a gesture the Earl had insisted upon as a substitute for a pillow, but the rest of his body rocked and jolted as the carriage made it's way through the uneven roads of the London countryside.

"It looks as though he has a chance." The demon insisted, yet his eyes told a different story. He knew Alois had little time, especially with the amount of blood he had lost, but the demon would say what he needed to please his young master.

"That's not good enough." Ciel glared at the demon, "I demand - No. I order you to make sure he lives."

The demon looked at the boy for a moment, and replying with a gentle nod. "Yes, My Lord."

Ciel seemed to relax a bit after that, yet he continued to run his hand along the boy's head. For some strange reason, the mere feeling of the other's hair, the way each strand would curl at his touch, and slide between his fingers with ease, made Ciel feel comfort. It reassured him that Alois was indeed going to live, and then this awful feeling of deep regret would leave completely.

Many times Ciel had others killed, but never before was he the cause of such a thing. It was true that on many occasions he had held a gun, pointed to those whom he felt needed to die, but never had a bullet been fatal. Sebastian had always been the reason for the final blow. Yet here was a boy, only a year older than himself, dying from the cause of Ciel's swordsmanship.

It wasn't long before the carriage came to a halt. Sebastian took the blonde from his Master's arms, carrying Alois into the manor as gentle as he could and trying his best to walk evenly so the boy moved as little as possible in his arms.

"Good evening, Master!" The three servants chimed happily, only to lose their smiles at the appearance of the soaked Earl and the nearly lifeless Trancy boy they had met merely once at his own costume ball.

"Get back to work." The Earl waved them off, removing his own top hat and making his way up the main stairs.

Sebastian, of course, followed the boy's lead, skipping past the guest room and stopping in front of Ciel's own bedroom.

"Set him in my bed," Ciel opened the door to the master bedroom of the house, "He need something much more comfortable than the beds provided in the guest rooms."

"And where will you sleep?" Sebastian questioned, setting the ill boy down on the bed and taking off his vest and shirt, exposing the wound into the chilly evening air. "And where will you sleep?"

"My parent's room." Ciel sat at the end of the bed, watching the blonde's rapid breathing. He was sweating now, despite the efforts of Sebastian to be as gentle as possible while cleaning the wound. "Should we call a doctor?"

"I've read multiple medical books left by your Aunt," Sebastian spoke, stitching up the now cleansed wound, "I had to do so after learning about your health condition. I will be able to take care of him without the aid of anyone in the medical profession." He bandaged the the broken boy well, wrapping thick layers of gauze around his torso to hold everything in place. The blonde continued to sweat, tossing his head side to side every once in awhile as one would do while having a bad dream. "Besides, since you were the cause of this, you'd have to explain everything to the yard. We can't have that, now can we?"

"I suppose you're right." Ciel watched every movement the demon made and how Alois responded to each effort put into healing him. He watched as the boy flinched, as his breathing hitched, and how he settled down when all was let be.

The rain continued to fall outside, creating a gentle song against the windows of the manor. Mey-Rin came in, changing the candles after Sebastian ordered her to do so, and Finnian brought up an arrangement of colourful roses to set at the bedside of the injured boy. Ciel, though regretting to do so, left the room eventually, heading towards his parents to prepare for bed.

It wasn't the first time he had spent the night in their room since their death, but it didn't take away from the surreal feeling that came along with doing so. It was unnerving at moments, with the often feeling of being watched lingering in the back of the boy's mind, but he wouldn't disclose this, not tonight.

Sebastian entered the room only moments later, but Ciel quickly shooed him away, insisting that all of the butler's attention should be focused on Alois for the time being. After he left, the Earl changed, which was very difficult, especially when it came to the buttons of his nightshirt. After the fifth attempt of trying to align them up, the boy decided it wasn't worth the effort and headed to bed without bothering to fix them properly.

As he laid in bed, he watched the flame of the candle slowly die down, his eyes growing heavy as he did so. He remembered back to his childhood, his mother and his father, and how they sat with him through the long evenings after his asthma attacks. The Earl began to wish to sit beside Alois, holding his hand like a family would, but he decided against the idea, and instead stared at the dying candle until he could no longer keep his eyes opened.

He dreamt that night of regret, anguish, and losing his parents over and over. Every time he would wake with a scream, and every time he promised himself that tomorrow, yes tomorrow, he would sit at Alois' beside.

He was determined to save Alois Trancy.


	2. Chapter Two

When Ciel awoke the next morning, it was to the gentle citrus scent of Earl Grey tea. It sat in simple tea cup on a silver tray, accompanied by a tea kettle and a small pastry.

At first, Ciel was quite angry at the butler for disobeying his orders not to leave Alois' bedside, but after the first sip of the tea he completely relaxed. That was the thing with Earl Grey; to Ciel it could calm even the most wild of nerves.

The floorboards were cold beneath his bare feet. As he glanced down at them, he became quite puzzled. Never before had the young Earl put on his own socks, and looking at them sitting on the chair beside the bed made him quite uneasy. Which foot was he supposed to put which sock on? Was he supposed to roll them on, or slide them on? How high were they to reach up his leg?

After staring for quite some time at the pair, he decided upon which should go on the left and which should go on the right, sliding one up to his knee and the other to the top of his ankle.

Then came the clothes. After much consideration to how one puts on pants and what he should wear and how, he decided that he would just tread throughout the household in his night clothes. He made his way to the opposite end of the hallway, pants on backwards and unevenly buttoned shirt, opening the door to his own bedroom slowly. He peeked his head in, and after noticing it was only his butler who sat in the room, reading from a cookbook intended for the ill, he entered and closed the door.

Immediately, the butler looked up, choking back laughter at the boy's appearance. For it was not only his clothes that were put on completely wrong, but the eyepatch which he had failed to remove was lopsided, nearly to his mouth, and his hair had yet to be combed.

"Good morning, My Lord." Sebastian smiled widely, trying his best to hide any hint of laughter at the boy's pathetic attempt.

"What do you find so amusing?" Ciel continued to talk with great power, making his way towards Alois' bedside.

"You really can't do anything without me, can you?" The demon stood and removed the Earl's eyepatch, fitting it and tying it on properly. He brushed his hair as well, and pulled his socks up, applying the suspenders that kept them in place.

Ciel did not protest to any of these actions, with his gaze completely absorbed in the appearance of the sleeping Trancy boy.

As Sebastian continued to dress him, Ciel spoke in a whisper, "How is our guest doing?"

"Better," Sebastian spoke loud and clear, much to the Earl's disapproval. "He seemed to stop tossing early this morning." After straightening the bow of the boy, the butler stepped back, allowing him to venture to the blonde's bedside.

Ciel stood at the end of the bed, staring at the way Alois lay. His arms were out like a starfish, but his legs were nearly crossed. He wore only shorts with bandages covering the majority of his stomach. The bright blue eyes that were always so joyful and devious remained shut, but his mouth was opened only the slightest bit, almost as if he were whistling to breath yet producing not a single sound.

But what Ciel noticed most was the dulling colour of the locks of the boy's hair. The rich yellows were now dirty looking, with blotches of blood sticking strands together. It was a matted mess as well, with knots in every area, even the boy's long bangs.

"Sebastian, fetch me a bucket of water, a towel, and a brush."

"Yes, My Lord." Sebastian kept the door opened a bit as he left, worried that Alois would wake without him by his side and leaving Ciel to fend for himself.

The Earl had now moved to the side of the bed, watching the rhythm of Alois' seemingly laboured breaths. They were long and slow, yet steadily paced as if he were more in a trance than asleep. One strand on his hair would move against his nose with each breath, and after watching it do so for a few moments, Ciel brushed the hair from the other boy's face, letting his hand brush against the warm of his forehead.

He was in a fever, sweating and shivering, and his head was a sure sign of it. It was burning hot compared to Ciel's often chilled hands, and so the Earl used them in an attempt to cool down the other until Sebastian once again arrived with the items he had left for.

It took a few minutes, but Ciel soon dared to sit beside the blonde, getting Sebastian to aid him so Alois' head once again rested against his lap. With the wet cloth, the Earl began cleaning the boy's hair. Sebastian so wished to correct the boy, to explain that wasn't how he should be doing it, but when he saw the look of pure concentration and determination plastered on Ciel's face he choose not to mention it and let it be as a mean to make the boy feel accomplished.

After what felt like hours but were truly only minutes, Ciel took the brush, dipped it in water, and began to brush the glow back into the blonde's luscious locks. The Earl had concluded that he would continue to pamper his guest until he was able to do it himself again, and with that thought he smiled.

Stroke after stroke, the hair began to return to it's normal shinny state. The water in the bowl, on the other hand, had turned an ugly rust colour from each time the young boy cleaned the brushes bristles. Never before had he put so much effort into such a simple task, something most people had to do for themselves everyday, and in doing so Ciel began to achieve a feeling of empowerment. He had something to live for now, and not just revenge.

...

The days went by relatively the same. They would start with the Ciel attempting to dress himself, failing, and getting help from Sebastian. Followed by that, the boy would sit, brushing the blonde's golden locks for nearly an hour, spending more time watching how Alois' breathing was gently paced than actually brushing his hair. Later, Ciel would have a chess table set up, and practice for a few hours unless there was issues reported about a product or factory which he would attend to fixing immediately. He also read quite a lot, asking Sebastian the meaning of words he didn't recognize, which happened rarely since he was already equipped with a large vocabulary of his own.

It was only in the late evening that Ciel tended to get bored. He would watch the sun set through the partially opened drapes, it's rosey rays pouring in, in elaborate patterns shaped by the lace in the drapes' design. And once it set and he could no longer keep his eyes open he would lay down in a spare bed he had his butler bring into the room, it's end pressed against the end of the bed where Alois' slumbered.

He allowed his butler to aid him in getting ready for bed, trying his best to keep his mind off of Alois as he sipped warm milk and read the letters that had been delivered while in bed. The sheets were warm, quilted and cozy, making it difficult for the Earl to keep his eyes open.

His head hit the pillow around nine o'clock each night, watching the candle burn out before telling Sebastian to replace it once more, for Alois feared the dark and he worried if the boy were to wake in the night he would panic himself into submission.

Sleep came easy after that, knowing he was by the Trancy boy, the ends of the beds they slept in near touching. He also loved the idea of Sebastian sitting beside the bed, reading the night away, and for some strange reason keeping the nightmares away too.

...

It was on the fifth day of this same routine that Ciel was startled awake by the weeping sound of a boy crying. He sat up, squinting at the sudden light and holding his head from the rush of blood that left it, leaving him momentarily dizzy. His eyepatch was off, but it didn't matter at the moment, and thankfully it was dark at this particular hour.

He sprung from bed, wrapping a blanket around himself to keep from getting a chill from the breeze that flooded the room through the open window. Alois was crying, a hand on his stomach and his face ghost white. He looked as though he were dying, and yet, the bright blue of his eyes pierced through the darkness as he stared at the young Earl through tears.

Sebastian was already pushing the injured boy back into the bed, putting pressure on the wound that had reopened just enough to bleed. Ciel quickly sat at the boy's side, holding his hand and watching Sebastian's movements in pure awe. Alois simply stared at the two, baffled as to why they were helping him, and why he was there in the first place.

He only stayed conscious a few moments though, and by the time the bleeding had stopped and Ciel's nerves had once against settled, Alois was back into his coma-like state.

"Is he alive?!" Ciel tried to feel the boy's pulse by pressing two fingers against his neck, something he had watched Sebastian do time after time, but he felt not a single beat at all. "Sebastian!"

"Allow me," He moved the young Earl's fingers, feeling for a pulse and nodding, "He's alive." He paused, thinking for a moment. "Here, perhaps this is an easier way for you to check."

The demon guided the Earl to Alois' opposite side, showing him where to lay. Once that was done, he moved his head, allowing him to hear the slow, beating heart of the other boy.

"You see, he's alive."

Ciel looked startled at first, poking the skin of Alois' chest curiously. It had been so long since he had heard the heartbeat of someone else who was living and breathing in the world. He settled down, closing his eyes and focusing his attention on the pitter patter of the slumbering boy who inhabited his bed.

He smiled a bit, pulling a blanket over himself as he continued to listen. It was a soothing sound, one that calmed the boy's nerves just as quickly as Earl Grey tea would have. It wasn't long before he fell asleep to this sound, the sound of the boy he had almost killed still alive, and it was thanks to him that the heart would carry on beating.


	3. Chapter Three

One can only imagine the surprise that Alois truly felt as he awoke to a sleeping Ciel   
Phantomhive snuggled into his chest. The boy’s grey/blue hair was disheveled, and he lay awkwardly as he he had been trying to prevent himself from turning throughout the night. He slept with his soft lips opened, his hair covering his eyes, and his eyepatch haphazardly placed across his temple.  
Alois attempted to fix the patch, cringing at the pain he felt with every move he made. His fingers grazed Ciel’s smooth skin as he did so, making the sleeping boy shiver and open his eyes immediately.   
Ciel was struck with fear, pushing away from the blonde with his breath hitching in a panic before realizing exactly what had happened.  
“Good morning, Earl Trancy.” Sebastian spoke calmly, pouring two cups of tea for both Ciel and the guest. It was a weaker tea than Ciel was used to, but the addition of peppermint made up for it’s lack of flavour.   
Alois attempted to reply, but his throat was dry and his voice was hoarse. The mere attempt to carry out a conversation left him coughing, holding onto the bandages that covered his wound as he attempted to compose himself once more. The demon took the shaking tea cup from the sick boy’s hands, rubbing his back gently and offering him a tissue. Ciel on the other hand was sitting in complete bewilderment, for the boy he had watched in a coma-like state for nearly a week was now awake, but he had changed.  
This was not the same boy who had thrown him from the top floor over the railing of the stairwell, or the boy who had pinned him down so confidently, insisting he would feed Ciel’s remains to the spiders of the home. This was not the same boy who had gouged out the eye of his own maid, who had attempted to cremate a butterfly with the idea of a proper funeral, and who had danced throughout the garden’s each day, intoxicated by the scent of roses.  
This was not Alois, for he was much different.  
Ciel had watched Alois sleep many hours these past days and had almost rid his mind of the fights that they had, the duels with both mind and body that they had faced, every ounce of hatred he had previously felt towards the boy. It had all vanished.  
But now, with the blonde sitting in his bed, eyes open and able to feed and drink himself, those memories came washing back. To Ciel, it was like a bottle of wine, rich and crimson, pouring out slowly and then staining everything it touched with an eerie reminded of what had happened.   
Alois had killed his parents, yes that is what Ciel had remembered from their battle, that was the reason he had tried to kill him in the first place. So why was it, as the blonde sat here with barely a smile nor glimmer of joy in his eyes, why did Ciel feel pity as opposed to hatred?  
“Trancy,” Ciel sat up, fixing his eyepatch as he spoke. It was no use pretending to hide it, for Alois already knew what was hiding behind it. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, do you understand me?”  
Alois looked at the boy puzzled, a wicked grin growing on his face, “Is it safe to assume the Earl Phantomhive is worried about my well being?” Alois coughed a bit, swallowing the tickle in his throat with a sip of his tea.  
“Don’t be so naive. Of course I feel no pity of someone like you. I took you to my home to get answers is all.”   
"Young Master, perhaps your interrogation could wait for another time." It was Sebastian who spoke up, taking the cups from the two boys and elevating Alois into a proper posture with the assistance of various pillows.   
"Thank you," Alois spoke, his voice hitching with a slight bit of pain.  
"You should stay quiet and in bed until you've regained your strength." Sebastian noted, looking towards his young master who was sitting on his own bed, gazing outside the window into the flower bed.   
It was strange to hear Sebastian take concern in someone other than Ciel himself, especially enough to intervene while the boy questioned suspects. And yet, here he was, staring out a window because his butler insisted he wait until Alois had better recovered. It all seemed quite peculiar to the Earl.   
He stood after a few moments, heading towards the door of the room before looking back at the two who remained. "Sebastian, stay by Alois' side until I return."  
"Yes," Sebastian bowed at the waist, and hand crossing his chest, "My Lord."  
...  
Lady Elizabeth had been called upon for afternoon tea in the gardens of the Phantomhive manor. It was Ciel's way of keeping his mind occupied while amusing his fiancée in the process.   
The girl sat in an elaborate dress covered in lace and jewels, which was something she tended to do often, while her gravity defying curls framed her ever-so-cheerful face.  
"I'm so glad you invited me to tea," the Lady spoke, sipping tea as the wind made her curls bounce alongside her head. "I missed have little tea parties with you!"   
"This isn't a tea party," the Earl spoke drying. He was bored with the whole ordeal already, sitting with his chin settled in the palm of his hand as he looked towards his bedroom window. Although he tried his best, he could not tear his mind off of the idea Alois was in that room, unable to run away, and he was the cause of his parents death.  
"Well, I'm glad you invited me over anyways," the girl quieted down a bit. She let the sound of the songbirds overtake her thoughts of her distant fiancé. They had grown up so close, but after the accident with his parents and his disappearance he had completely changed, like the flow of a pond freezing over in the dead of winter. Except, Ciel's had yet to thaw at all.  
The Earl ignored the Lady's comment, watching as Sebastian shook his head from the upstairs window before closing the drapes, a small sign that Ciel needed to stop worrying about the sick boy and focus on the love struck female who sat across from him.  
Although Ciel cared a great deal for his cousin, he never grew to love her as a fiancée, but he did appreciate how she was one of the few people who had learned to cope with his changes throughout his life. She never once had asked, out loud at least, what had happened that month he was away. Instead she allowed the silence, and the thought engulf the boy time after time as she continued to talk as if he were listening when she knew damn well he wasn't. And for this, he was thankful.  
"Elizabeth?"   
The girl stopped talking about the newest shoes in fashion and looked up at the boy, a soft smile on her face, "Yes, Ciel?"   
"Will you accompany me for a walk in the garden?"   
"Of course."  
The two began making their way through the rows and rows of flowers. Finnian had done an excellent job, for once, in making sure the vines hung correctly, the hedges were even, and the smell of one species of flower did not drown out the smell of the rest.  
Ciel’s favourite were the white roses, but Elizabeth prefered the lilies, stopping every few feet to admire the wide arrange that had grown throughout the flowerbeds of the manor. The Earl avoided his own favourite, heading towards the bluebells and picking a few for his ill guest. He had no idea what brought him upon the notion to do so, but something had, and despite the Earl’s wish to hate Alois so, he pitied him enough to pick his own flowers for the damn boy.   
Of course, he did put one in the Lady’s hair, a gentle blue against her golden curls. She giggled, blushing ever so slightly before smiling up at the boy. She was indeed a beautiful girl, that was something Ciel would never deny, and he had grown affectionate towards her in his own way.   
“Can we do this again sometime?” Elizabeth asked, her arm wrapped around Ciel’s as he walked her back to the front of the manor and to her carriage.  
“Of course,” He offered a sad smile, aiding her into the fancy carriage. She returned said smile as well, placing a lilly she had picked from the garden in the Earl’s top hat’s ribbon.   
“There,” the girl spoke, “Something cheerful to offset the sadness in your eyes.”   
“Goodbye, Lady Elizabeth.”  
The girl wished to correct him, that her name was Lizzy to those she loved, but she didn’t. She simply waved a farewell, the whip of the driver echoing through the quiet of day and the sound of the carriage beginning it’s long journey home. THat was the last thing the boy saw before heading back into the household.  
The sharp stems of the flowers has pushed their way through his satin gloves, drawing a small bit of blood to seeped through it staining it’s pure white into a blotchy mess. The boy removed them, tisking at the waste of yet another pain, and staring at the blood. How many more moments would he need to watch someone bleed out in his lifetime? And how many of those moments would be caused by him?   
“Sebastian.” He called out to his butler, the blood now dancing it’s way down his arm and dripping onto the polished floor. “Sebastiannnnn!”  
“Yes, My Lord?” The butler had removed his own gloves, replacing them with a new pair as he made his way down the stairs, standing in front of his master and looking at the ruby liquid that had yet to stop. “Oh my, what have you done.” He grabbed his handkerchief from his coat pocket, cleaning up the young boy’s mess. Ciel didn’t move, he simply continued to stare at the butler’s ever movement, attempting to learn from his actions.   
“How is the Trancy boy?”  
“Why don’t you go up and see him yourself?” The butler asked, bandaging the boy’s hand before taking the bluebells from his other and evening out the stems to prevent further injury.  
“I don’t wish to talk to a spider like him.”  
The butler smiled just a bit, “Well if these bluebells were for Elizabeth you should have given them to her as she made her leave.”  
The boy snatched the flowers from the butler’s hands, making his way to the staircase with a displeased look. “They’re for my bedroom, to make it seem less...just less.”  
The demon looked at his master questionly, but did nothing to further push the conversation. With that, Ciel excused himself, making his way up to the bedroom and pushing open the door just slightly.   
There sat the blonde, who now wore an old nightshirt of Ciel’s, which fit him much better than it had ever fit the Earl. He was sitting, examining his gold and ruby ring that he always wore on his fingers. It was an heirloom, similar to Ciel’s blue one, but the Trancy boy was never born to be a true Trancy, and thus the ring and all the riches that came with it were never truly his. But for some reason the people of the area, who had questioned this fact, had seemed to accept him much more over the previous, perverted owner of the home.   
“Trancy?”   
“You can come in, you know,” The boy took off the ring and set it on the bedside table, “It is your room.”  
The young Earl walked in, putting the flowers in an empty vase by the window.  
“You need to add water or they’ll die,” The Trancy boy took the glass he had from the side table, pouring it into the vase and sitting back down quickly. Although he was still in pain, he hid the fact well, rarely flinching anymore. He had grown used to the feeling with time.  
“Trancy, I don’t like you. Never forget that.”  
“Of course, Ciel.” The boy laid back down, looking at the ceiling with a playful grin.   
“Don’t smile like that.” The Earl hissed, sitting in the other bed. He had yet to have it removed, and was still contemplating whether or not he would. He enjoyed sleeping in the same room with another boy, it kept the nightmares away.  
Alois lost his smile, closing his eyes and mumbling, “Where’s Claude.”  
“He left you to die and you wonder his whereabouts?”  
“I wouldn’t care, except he’s still out there.” The boy stuck out his tongue, the contact seal still prominent. “Our contact is still stable. He’ll be around at some point. That damn fool.”  
The two sat in silence for the longest time. Eventually, the exhausted Earl Trancy fell back into a fitful slumber, tossing and turning for hours on end. Ciel simply watched, sitting by the window as the breeze poured in.   
“Sebastian.” The boy never broke his gaze from the window, simply feeling the presence of his butler from across the room, the line of beds separating the two. “I order you to find the Trancy butler, Claude Faustus, and kill him.”  
“Yes,” Sebastian smiled, kneeling with his hand on his chest, “My Lord.”


	4. Chapter Four

Alois Trancy woke in the night, fearful of the darkness that engulfed him. He sat up suddenly, looking around for any sign of light before noticing a small crack on the curtains that had been left open, most probably by accident. He crawled towards the light, brain numbing pain in his stomach but he didn’t care, for his fear of the neverending darkness was much more relevant than the momentary pain he was experiencing.   
It was a full moon that night, and the air was light and crisp. It smelled of roses, a smell Alois loved, a beautiful scent to wake up to.   
He hadn’t noticed the presence of the other boy in the opposite bed, until Ciel began to toss and turn, his eyepatch off and his hair a wild mess. Alois smiled slightly at the sight, the sight of the Earl Phantomhive so innocent and young. Only in sleep did he look his true age of merely thirteen.   
One of the boy’s arms were draped across his forehead, and the other was falling off the side off   
the bed. His legs were trapped between the blankets, making the boy kick every time he turned from one side to another before settling on his back for a few minutes.  
“You’re so cute when you sleep.” Alois whispered, laughing lowly and turning his attention back outside.   
He could not sleep without dreaming up images of Claude, leaving him in the pouring rain with his glasses cracked and broken. The butler who had promised to devote his life to him until he reached his ultimate goal had betrayed him, and the one who took him in until he healed was none other than Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis. Those were the two Claude had claimed had killed his brother, setting his village on fire all those years ago, and yet, here he lay in Ciel’s bedroom, in his nightshirt, in his bed.  
“Ciel?” The blonde whispered. Of course, Ciel had no response, lost in a deep sleep that had made the boy begin to sweat and toss and turn. All the signs of a nightmare, Alois had concluded.   
He could not walk at this point, the pain in his side and his lack of activity the past weeks had made his entire being weak, and so, he crawled over into Ciel’s bed, laying at the opposite end. The young Earl continued to toss and turn, his breathing becoming heavy, quick breaths that made him cough in his sleep.   
“Ciel?” Alois moved to lay beside the older Earl, shaking him softly in fear he may hurt him. “Ciel, wake up, you’re having a nightmare.”  
“Sebastian!” Ciel broke into a scream, sitting up with tears building in his deep blue eye.   
“Ciel,” Alois whispered, cautiously putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder in a means of comfort, “Ciel, it’s okay, it was only a nightmare.”  
“W-w-what are you doing in my bed?” The Earl pushed the boy away, wrapping himself in more blankets in a means of defence.   
Alois shrugged. “I can’t walk and you were having a nightmare, so I crawled over here to wake you up.”  
The younger of the two stared at the blonde confused yet thankful for his presence. He had no idea how he should feel, for his parent’s murderer was in his bed, in his clothes, waking him out of his sleep because he felt bad for him. He was worried about him.   
Ciel stared at the boy, finally allowing the tears that had built up spill down his face. Only Sebastian had seen the boy cry, and each time it was after having a horrid nightmare that made him relive his past.   
Alois reached a hand out, rubbing Ciel’s back in a calming gesture. He too was confused about the situation. This was his brother’s killer after all, or at least, the Master of the one who caused the small stability of his life to crumble.  
Only moments after said gesture, Ciel flung himself into the boy’s chest, holding onto his nightshirt as he cried into his chest, desperate to listen to the beating sound of the blonde’s heart beat once more. Alois wrapped his arms around the shaking Earl, petting his hair a bit as he watched him completely lose any stance that suggested he held any sort of power.  
The sobbing continued for many minutes, the broken Earl relieving himself of all the memories that he carried upon his shoulders each day. At some point, the Earl had finally stopped, sniffling into Alois’ shirt and cuddling into his chest until he fell asleep.  
Alois, confused as what he should do, laid back down with the Earl, wrapping the two in blankets and watching the light seep through the crack in the drapery until he too fell victim to the appending darkness.   
…  
The demon was indeed going to kill Claude, in fact, he was heading in that direction now. Except, something caught his eye along the way, something soft and gentle, something the demon could not help but be curious about, and that is why he had stopped despite his Master’s orders.  
For among the trees that separated the Phantomhive Manor from the rest of society sat a small, black, kitten.  
It’s ears perked up as it watched the demon approached, it’s piercing green eyes cutting through the darkness of the spring evening.  
Sebastian began to pet it, focusing on the tiny spot between its ears, and the soft patch of fur beneath its chin. The cat purred with much delight, rubbing his head into the demon’s palm as if begging for more.   
“You are such a pretty kitty, aren’t you?” The demon smiled, picking up the cat with much affection. It continued to purr, meowing the cutest little meow the demon had ever heard. “Here,” he put the cat in his coat pocket, holding it close as he looked around the area before once again continuing on his journey, the cat nibbling on his fingers as he ran.  
He knew he had to kill Claude soon, or he would be heading to the Phantomhive Manor in search of his Master, the Earl Trancy.  
Each step he took felt like ages, his senses staying on his own Master back at home, who seemed to be in a gentle slumber and in no harm as of yet. This idea eased the demon, as well as the cat in his pocket who had begun to settle into it’s own cat nap.  
There was little activity noticeable in the Trancy manor, but it was clear Claude was there by the amount of spiderwebs that had taken over the back garden.  
And amidst it all was the king of them all, Claude Faustus, and he was sipping Earl Grey tea.


	5. Chapter Five

The night was clear, an array of stars flooding the open sky, the moon full and luminist. Sebastian stood admits the trees, a simple shadow admit their large trunks. The kitten had fallen into a slumber, it’s warmth radiating the spot above Sebastian’s side. The demon, of course, struggled between caring for the cute little kitten who had snuggled up into his pocket, or continuing on his Master’s order to kill the spider that sat only feet away from him. Of course, sadly, the Master’s orders were his first priority.  
He pulled out one of the polished silver butter knives he carried from his jacket, aiming straight for the opposing demon’s head. A simple toss, and it was flying straight, like a dart aimed for the bullzeye. Then, the ringing of metal against metal, gold against silver, butler against butler was all that was heard throughout the cold of the night.   
“You lack the ability to defeat me, you do realize that, correct?” Claude stood from the middle of his web, walking along it’s threads like a tightrope walker.   
“We both know it’s the other way around,” Sebastian jumped onto the web as well, the weight of it triggering the other demon to momentarily lose his footing, regaining his composer with ease as he stared down Sebastian.  
"Where is my Master."   
"Are we talking about the Young Master whom you left to die during a downpour?" The demon smirked. At this point the two were walking in circles around the perimeter of the silky web. "A proper butler would not do such a thing to their master."   
Claude continued pacing, adjusting his glasses with his usual expressionless face. "Where is Alois."   
"I did not come here to discuss the whereabouts of the boy you left to die." Sebastian stopped suddenly, staring at the demon who still stood opposite him. "I came on my Master's order to kill you."   
…  
Ciel had aided Alois to a chess table chair before taking a seat across from the boy. The board was set, Ciel playing as the black pieces, and Alois playing as the white. The idea made the Earl chuckle, Alois playing the colour of purity and he playing the colour of the impure. To him, the roles would be better fit if they were switched around.   
Ciel took great pride in having never lost a game in his life, and he believed beating the Trancy boy would be easy, but it simply proved to be boring. The blonde who was always full of life, waiting for a challenge and taking it on with great focus and enthusiasm, seemed lost. He would watch the board and move his pieces, but it seemed like he had no tactic in doing so, and as he stared his light blue eyes seemed clouded by something. Of course, the young Earl spoke nothing of this, allowing the Trancy boy to continue his unaimed movements.   
After winning, unsurprisingly, Ciel leaned back, looking at the blonde who remained staring at the board as if trying to figure out the missing piece to a puzzle.  
"Is something troubling you, Trancy?"  
The Earl Trancy shook his head, his blonde bangs covering up the sky blue of his eyes as he did so. "You can call me Alois you know. There is no need to be formal."   
The Phantomhive boy pondered this idea for a moment, for it was quite an interesting situation he had gotten himself in. Here he was, sitting across from the boy who murdered his family, and he feels that the two are acquainted enough to be calling each other on a first name bases. It was strange indeed.  
"Mey-Rin!" Ciel called out, standing from the chess table and grabbing his cane as he made his way to the door. "Do make our guest comfortable, I have business to attend to."   
"But Sebastian ordered us not to let you out of the house, he did." Mey-Rin whined, looking at the boy with a crack in her glasses.  
"Well this is an order coming from me. Do tend to the Earl Trancy while I attend to my work."   
"But, Master, I don't think Sebastian will be very pleased with me-"   
"Then Finnian will accompany me." He turned to his guest who once again seemed lost, looking at the window with a haunting sadness in his eyes. "Alois, do stay out of trouble until I return."   
Alois said nothing in return, leaving the Earl nothing to do but to leave the manor with the company of his gardener.   
…  
Alois was lost, mentally at least. He felt like he was floating through time, like the things he did had no meaning, and the outcomes they created had no point. Playing a game of chess, for instance, seemed pointless as he knew he would lose to the younger boy, and the fact he lost did not determine a single thing. It simply meant he was no better than the Earl Phantomhive.  
What was the point of living at all, knowing he was so close to death before? Perhaps if he died he would join with the family he had lost when he was so young, and he would no longer be alone in a world without reason.   
With the other Earl gone and his butler fighting Sebastian, Alois found the manor quite boring. Of course, his inability to move freely on his own played a large part in all of this.  
"I brought some tea, Earl Trancy." Mey-Rin sang, carrying the silver tray and placing it on the bedside table.  
"Mey-Rin is your name, right?" Alois looked up at her, playing the best cute roll he could under the circumstances, "Mey-Rin will you play with me in the garden?"   
"Well, uh, you see Master Trancy, it's dark out and you're sick and-"   
"Pleaseeee?" Alois gave the sad excuse of a maid a perfect set of puppy eyes, his arms wrapped around her in fear she would leave before he got his own way. "It's so stuffy and boring in here. I want to go outside but I can't do it by myself. I need your help."   
The maid looked at the boy through her big rimmed glasses, a sense of pity on her face. "Alright I'll give you a quick piggyback."   
Thrilled beyond belief, the blonde wrapped his arms and legs around the girl, holding on tightly as she carried him through the manor and out into the back garden.   
Little did she know that in the boy's boots lay a set of daggers doused in holy water.  
...  
It had been hours since the battle began and neither demon had begun to feel fatigued. Their clothes were torn, the soles of their shoes tattered from the sharpness of the spider's thread. Blood dripped from various areas of their body, Sebastian's mostly his arms, and Claude's injures were mostly around his stomach. Yet, despite their ever growing array of injuries, neither was prepared to give up.  
"You're persistent." Claude muttered. He was becoming bored with the whole battle.   
"I do as my Master insists me to do without fail."   
Claude rolled his eyes, pouncing into the air with a set of golden forks at the ready, yet he stopped suddenly, landing on the web to a point it's threads snapped and he fell onto the grass on the Trancy garden. "Alois."   
Sebastian recognized the look in the other's eyes, that look he had, had many times before himself. It was that sense of hunger, that point when he smelled his prey no matter the distance between them. Alois must have gone outside, and Claude had already begun charging for him.  
Sebastian too sensed his young master near, but he knew he had to chase after Claude before he reached the Phantomhive manor. With the blood from his arm and his tattered glove he wrote a note to the boy, placing it in the mouth of the kitten he still protected in his pocket and sat the kitten down, petting it one more time before running after Claude into the dark of the night.


	6. Chapter Six

Claude was fast, as was Sebastian and between the two the race seemed mostly tied. Of course, each demon threw items in the way of the other, hoping that perhaps he would trip on an uprooted tree or scurry away from an incoming rose bush, but no attempt had seemed to slow the other down.   
Back at the Trancy manor, Ciel had arrived, walking towards the home with his gardener by his side. Finnian remained quiet yet aware of his surroundings, listening for any sort of sound that would trigger or predict an upcoming attack, but he heard nothing at all. The manor was quiet, empty, and hollow.  
The two managed their way into the home through the front door, thanks to the gardener’s strength of course. Spiders were everywhere. They hung from the rafters, swung from the arches and hide amongst the pottery that decorated the home with a historical vibe. The creatures scurried as the two paced throughout the mansion, the sound of their heels echoing and indicating they had come for a visit.  
But there was not a soul to greet them.  
And so they went from room to room, finding little to no evidence that the Trancy boy had ever lived their prior, leading the two to venture into the home’s elaborate garden, one of the few creations that Alois had grown fond of.   
That was when Ciel saw it, the huge spiderweb that filled the majority of the rose bushes, the flowers the blonde took so much pride in. It was not a web for an ordinary spider, no, it was the web for the king of them all, and amongst the labyrinth of spark thread-like webbing was a black cat, eyes as bright as the stars were.  
“Finnian,” Ciel pointed to the creature, a look of dissatisfaction on his face, “There seems to be a note with that....thing. Go take it from him.”  
The gardener nodded, stepping ever so carefully between the threading. The cat did not move, just continued to stare at the Phantomhive boy until Finnian had him in his arms, removing Sebastian’s note from its tiny mouth and throwing it to his master.  
Ciel unwrapped the miniature scroll squinting to read it do to the fact there was little light, and seeing out of only one eye had indeed proved difficult at times like these.  
“It seems as though the two have headed back to the estate.” The boy adjusted his top hat, resting his weight on his cane for a moment. “While you’re tangled in that mess, do pick some roses.”  
“But we have roses back at home.” Finnian pointed out, attempting to hold his balance with the kitten in his arms.  
“Do not question me.” Ciel hissed, walking back to the carriage and waiting impatiently for the gardener to join him.  
…  
“Please, Mey-Rin, just a little longer.” Alois begged, snuggling into the maid’s back as she began walking back into the Phantomhive Manor.   
“But, the Young Master will be home soon and he’ll be awfully mad at me if he finds out I took you outside, yes he will.”  
Alois pouted, attempting to wiggle out of the woman’s arms and falling onto his butt on the cement.  
“Oh, Lord Trancy!” The maid kneeled down, swooning worriedly over the fallen Earl, who stared blankly towards the backyard forest.  
“Shhh.” He rested his finger on the maids soft lips, mouthing words she could not quite make out before crawling to hide behind a large, trimmed bush.  
“Your Highness!” Claude called out into the darkness as he approached the manor at lightening speed, “I have come to retrieve you!” He walked with confidence, a sense of belonging amidst the Phantomhive home, as if he owned it himself. “Do tell me where my Master is.”   
The question had been directed to Mey-Rin, who stood dazed and confused at the back entrance of the mansion. “Y-you mean the Earl Trancy?”  
“Yes, where is Alois.”  
Sebastian chuckled having finally caught up with the spider. “You really think a Phantomhive servant would be as careless as to give away the location of our honoured guest?”   
Claude pivoted, staring down the demon with a look of disgust, “Do tell me how you managed to catch up.”  
“I would hate to amuse you with such a story.”   
Mey-Rin, although unaware of what his opponent truly was, folded up her large round glasses and slid her hand into her apron, grasping the pistol that she always hid there and preparing to shoot if necessary.  
“Just give me the boy and I will return to the Trancy manor without a fuss.”  
“Like I said before, you are an idiot to think a Phantomhive servant would carelessly tell you where the boy is.” Sebastian began to step forward each time he spoke, inching closer to the other butler who was much too occupied looking for the blonde child he so desired than to realize the grave danger he was in. That is, he was too occupied until the opposing demon had him cornered, making him stumble back into a bush.  
And that was the moment a dagger drove it’s way into his black heart.  
…  
“What did Sebastian’s letter say?” The gardener questioned, roses of every colour in his grasp.   
Ciel leaned on the windowsill of the carriage, gazing out at the scenery as the sun began to ring in a new day. “It said that he was returning to the manor immediately and that I have no need to worry.”  
“But, what about the Earl Trancy’s butler you were so concerned about?”  
“He is returning to the manor as well,” the Earl sighed, sitting up straighter and admiring the details of his newest cane. It was a dark chestnut, carved to look like the bird of his family’s crest. The eyes of the creature were a deep, sea blue, and it’s beak a blood red. All in all it was a beautifully crafted piece, one that the Earl had a tendency to admire to hide his true thoughts.  
“Shouldn’t we worry about our guest then?!”   
“Calm down, Finnian,” Ciel continued to analyze the cane, leaning back in the carriage with a confident smile, “I gave Alois a gift before I left.”  
“A gift?”  
The boy returned to looking out the window, the city of London coming into view, “Yes, I gave him a precious dagger. We have nothing to fear. Alois is more capable than he looks.”


	7. Chapter 7

When a demon dies, one could imagine it in many ways. Perishing with a scream to the depths of hell perhaps, or maybe changing into their true form. Spiraling out of existence, losing the glimmer in their eyes as their own 'soul' escaped them. Something different. Something exciting.

But no, much to Alois' disappointment a demon died the way any human would. There was lots of blood soaking the marble, the paling of the skin, the ever growing coldness in the surroundings.

It was bloody boring.

Alois was panting, still holding up the now bloody dagger, ready to stab the demon once more if need be. Sebastian, on the other hand, had a wide smirk on his face as he escorted Mey-Rin away. A lady as sweet as her didn't need to see the death of something so vulgar.

"What's it feel like," Alois asked, kneeing in front of the dying demon, his eyes glancing into his. "What's it like to be killed by the Master you wanted to devour so desperately?"

The demon managed a smirk, "I haven't an idea what you mean, for it was you that stabbed me, not Phantomhive, correct?"

"He wasn't your bloody Mast-" and then it settled in. Claude had never really wanted his soul once he had seen the Phantomhive boy in front of him. He had known this, and yet, it struck harder now than ever before. The demon chuckled, and upon reflex, Alois stabbed the dagger through his glasses and into his soft, fleshy eye.

"I hate you," he whispered, pushing the dagger deeper as the demon yelped, squirming from the pain. "I hate you," he tugged the dagger out, aiming for the other eye, "I HATE YOU!"

"That's quite enough, Earl Trancy," Sebastian has stopped the boy mid stab, helping him to his feet and feeling his forehead. "You're awfully warm. Let's get you back to bed."

"But he's not dead!" He screamed, reaching for the dagger.

"My Master's orders require me to finish the job." Sebastian stated simply, guiding him into the manor and handing him over to Bardroy. "Do get our guest cleaned up and to bed."

With that he left, heading towards his opponent with a devilish smirk as he tugged his gloves off with his teeth.

Alois simply stood there, tears staining his cheeks as he clutched his blood covered hands into tight fists, pushing the cook away and storming his way upstairs. "I hate him!" He continued to yell, slamming the door to the Phantomhive boy's bedroom. Only then did he break down, sliding his back against the door until he was sitting, knees to his chest as the demon's blood dripped down his hands to the floor.

...

It was some time before the carriage pulled back at the manor, Ciel racing out and into the manor in search for his guest, as well as the two demons of course.

"You're later than expected," Sebastian stood by the stairs, a tray with tea in his hands as he smiled his fake smile so well.

"Where is Trancy?" Ciel's voice was urgent as he tug off his coat and hat, tossing them at the fairly confused gardener. "And where is his butler?"

"I carried out your orders as you requested," was the demon's only response as he began to carry the tray upstairs.

"And Trancy?"

"He won't leave the bedroom nor speak to anyone."

Ciel squeezed past him, racing up the stairs and attempting to swing open his bedroom door, only to find it locked. "Trancy?" There wasn't a response, just the sound of weak sniffles. The boy sighed, his voice softening as he leaned against the wall, "Alois, please open the door."

It was moments later that the door slowly opened, the blonde sitting right back on the bed and looking out the window. Ciel quietly closed the door behind himself, walking over and awkwardly sitting beside the older boy, not quite sure exactly what to say or do.

"He's dead." Was all the blonde could say. His usual bright blue eyes were clouded and bloodshot, his cheeks stained with the trail of previous tears. "And I didn't even get to kill him."

"He's a demon. It would have been hard for a normal human like you to finish him off."

"I could have if I tried hard enough." Alois whispered, looking down at his still bloody hands, "But Sebastian wouldn't allow it."

"Here," Ciel stood, dampening a cloth from his vanity and cleaning the other's hands gently. "We can't have you walking around like this."

Alois sniffled, watching the other's actions with saddened eyes. "Where will I go? What will I do? I have no one anymore."

"You have me," Ciel whispered, biting his lip at how cheesy it sounded. "Look, why don't we figure that out when this has all settled. You must be exhausted." He laid him back gently, tucking the blankets around him. The boy's skin was burning, and yet he hadn't stopped shivering since Ciel had entered the room. "You should sleep."

"Will...will you stay here until I wake up?" The blonde reached out, grabbing his hand, his blue eyes pleading.

"Of course."

A small, sad smile graced the boy's lips as he closed his eyes, falling asleep, hand in hand with the Earl Phantomhive himself.

And he stayed sleeping that way until the sun rose on a new day.


End file.
